B0ll0cks- Not again!

[domtyler]

Dom, if this little girl had been walking a little faster, and hadn't stopped I am not sure I could have missed her.

View: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PZnsw3bIzu0


I was probably a metre and a half from the parked cars. There can be situations where, no matter how much care you take, someone jumps/runs/skips out in front of you.

Should I be cycling slower her? I don't think so.

Of course there will always be situations where you you cannot reasonably have predicted a collision. We are all only human after all. Personally I would have been riding further away from the parked cars than you were, if that was not possible then I would have slowed down and covered my brakes. It is all about anticipating the unexpected, it certainly works for me, I have never even come close to hitting a pedestrian despite cycling fourteen miles a day along pedestrian filled streets.

 

[Fnaar]

I have never even come close to hitting a pedestrian despite cycling fourteen miles a day along pedestrian filled streets.

Shouldn't they be on the pavement?

 

[Joe24]

Only had a problem once. I missed her after a very loud, "OOOIIIIIII" she stepped back on the pavement. I was only about 4 meters from her aswell, she just stepped off the pavement, despite looking at me. I was doing about 18mph aswell.
Oh i had a kid trying to play chicken with me the other day. He crossed the road and kept walking at me. Moved out the way quickly when i sat up, took my hands off the bars nd folde them. Little bugger

 

[Dayvo]

It's funny, I very, very rarely get any problems with pedestrians.

Just the rest of the population you have trouble with, is it, Dom?

 

[fossyant]

Also add into the fact that Rusholme is full of stupid students. Parking is terrible - folk just stop, reverse etc on the main road, so all that including students not looking where they are going, and also, vast numbers of them on bikes - nightmare !

 

[domtyler]

Also add into the fact that Rusholme is full of stupid students.

And Ruffians?

 

[Andy in Sig]

What you need is something at the front of your bike that makes a lot of noise and maybe a bit of smoke to make you more noticable.

A small machine gun perhaps?

 

[NickM]

I once had a woman step into the bike lane about 20 yards in front of me, look directly at me, and then turn and stand right in my path, looking the other way.

I stopped quietly behind her and went...

BOO!!

She moved. I think her bowels may have done too

 

[GaryA]

I once had a woman step into the bike lane about 20 yards in front of me, look directly at me, and then turn and stand right in my path, looking the other way.

I stopped quietly behind her and went...

BOO!!

She moved. I think her bowels may have done too

BTW have you given up on soapbox Nick....am i destined to face the decivilised rabble alone ?

 

[John the Monkey]

A small machine gun perhaps?

Topping idea, what!

 

[NickM]

BTW have you given up on soapbox Nick....am i destined to face the decivilised rabble alone ?

I've just run out of enthusiasm for the same old disputes with the same old people, Gary... I suppose I might be back after a rest, but I don't think I have ever encountered in soapbox an opponent who stood much chance of denting any of my positions, so it achieves nothing beyond the passing of time, and I'd sooner be reading Wikipedia. Speaking of which, the Guayaki (or Aché) tribe of Paraguay appear interesting, even if most of the Wikipedia article on them does read like a rather dull essay on human rights...

"...leadership was informal and often context specific. There were no recognized chiefs, nor any other political-religious office..."

 

[Baggy]

Of course there will always be situations where you you cannot reasonably have predicted a collision....it is all about anticipating the unexpected, it certainly works for me, I have never even come close to hitting a pedestrian despite cycling fourteen miles a day along pedestrian filled streets.

I've been knocked off by a pedestrian on Charing Cross Road (the Oxford Street end, not the hectic end). Good visibility, no parked cars, I was a good distance from the kerb, when a woman who had previously been talking to someone turned around and walked straight into the road without looking, and whacked straight into the side of me, even though I tried to swerve around. She was moving pretty damn fast! Am sure I shouted out as well...

It amazes me how many people will cheerfully walk into a major road without looking, just because they can't hear anything.

 

[NickM]

...Am sure I shouted out as well...

"BASSSStard!!!"

 

[Baggy]

"BASSSStard!!!"

Heh

 

[Chuffy]

"BASSSStard!!!"

I believe I called her a "stupid woman" at the time. I hope she appreciated just how polite I was being...